The NHL announced a “new name and an expanded programming schedule” for its sixth season of esports programming around EA Sports' NHL game, according to Carol Schram of THE HOCKEY NEWS. Previously known as the NHL Gaming World Championship, the tournament “sees a name change” to the EA Sports NHL 23 World Championship. And the tournament's finale will be “returning to its in-person roots,” with the global champion set to be crowned at a live event in Nashville next June “as part of the party that runs around the NHL Awards and the 2023 NHL draft.” After running the first two global championship tournaments “in a high-visibility setting in conjunction with the NHL Awards” in Vegas in 2018 and 2019, pandemic restrictions “scuttled similar events in the three subsequent seasons.” All 32 NHL teams will “host their own tournaments this season for the first time, each crowning a Club Champion who will represent their franchise.” Each team will “determine the format of its tournament, and some franchises will go bigger than others.” The Capitals and Islanders are “seen as leaders in this space.” NHL VP/Business Development and Technology Partnerships Chris Golier said, "The club will have their own prize pool. They'll have their weekend of activity and then they'll have a champion” (THE HOCKEY NEWS, 11/22).
